Where are the best schools in London?

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Where are the best schools in London?

If you’re a young family looking to relocate to London, one of the biggest things you need to consider is where the best schools in London are and which school you’d like to send your children to, and their catchment areas. Prices can also be effected near catchment areas for good schools. Other things you’ll need to weigh up are; does the area have a low crime rate, what are the reputations of the schools in the area and is it an affordable place to live?

Good state schools in London

You need to be careful when looking for areas with good state schools in London, the top performing schools can at least double the rent of a property meaning your best bet is to find somewhere affordable, and then look for schools. With London’s ever-growing population, many catchment areas are shrinking for 2015 applications.

Muswell Hill

Even though that's the case in many places, Muswell Hill state primary school’s catchment areas have stayed the same, with some even increasing. The area is known for its many outstanding schools and choice. Muswell Hill Primary School has excellent Ofsted ratings, as does Fortismere, Alexandra Park School (high schools) and specialist school Treehouse for children with Autism as well as many more schools with good Ofsted ratings.

Richmond boasts a great many primary schools that perform well with the widest catchment areas. Richmond’s council website has downloadable maps illustrating how applicants did with their first school choices and where the pupils ended up. There are several highly rated Catholic and Church of England faith schools in the area.

Barnes Primary School, East Sheen Primary, Bishop Perrin Church of England Primary School, Clarendon School (for children with Autism and mild learning difficulties) and The German School, an international school for German children growing up in London are a few of the best rated. It doesn’t just offer schools with great results though, with Richmond Hill and Richmond Park being great outdoor areas to take the whole family.

Barnet

In Barnet you’ll find the Garden Suburb, a popular area with two schools; Brookland Infant School with 90 reception places and a catchment area of 0.387 miles and Garden Suburb Infant School with a 0.82 mile catchment area, meaning a place in a top performing state school near the popular Golders Green isn’t beyond the realms of possibility!

Martin Primary performed excellently with Ofsted and last year had a catchment area of 0.62 miles. Unfortunately this catchment area is likely to decrease in the next academic year. Ideal property for families begins at £225 per week.

The best schools in West London

To look at things a bit more broadly, the centre of London is more expensive, and the catchment areas for schools are smaller. The further you look away from Central London the better value-for-money you’ll find, with the West and South of London being more “family friendly.” West Hampstead is a great place for families, with open parks and ponds nearby.

Camden is just ten minutes away for those times when you want to let your hair down! It can be a little pricier than the areas mentioned above with prices starting at around £350 per week. The new Abacus Primary School in Belsize Park will add more school places for children in the area.

The best schools in South London

In the South East, Crystal Palace, Sydenham, Penge and Dulwich are great places to raise families, with affordable areas, quietness and parks all in abundance. The East of London is much more residential and you’ll find the combination of affordability and the sense of community an attraction. The district of Wandsworth is affordable, modern and has some great schools and parks.